Washing-machine.



Patented Dec. i2, |899.

J. H. GEEBS.

WASHING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 2, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

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Patented Dec. I2, |899. J. H. GEERS. WASHING MACHINE.

(Application med .rune 2, 189s.) (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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vidual. i The invention consists in the novel con-` Fries.

JOHN HERMAN GEERS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,167, dated December 12, 1899. Application led June 2, 1898. Serial No. 682,375. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HERMAN GEERs, of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved VVashimg-lVIa-l chine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

' The object of my invention is to provide a Washing-machine especially adapted for family use, but which may be employedk with equally good results in laundries orjin hotels, and to construct such a machine in a very1 simple and economic manner and so that the action of the machine on the clothes will not be in any measure detrimental.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the washing-machine".that it may be conveniently lcontrolled bya single indistruction and combination 'of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth,

and pointed out in the claims. e

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters'of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the improved machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 -is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a perspective f view illustrating a mechanism for driving a set of washing-machines by steam-power.

The body A of the machine may be of any desired shape; but preferably the mouth 10 of the body is given a downward and forward inclination and the front board 11 at the mouth is given an inclination downwardlyand in direction of the back of the machine, thereby imparting a Haring shape to the front portion of the mouth. A rubbing-surface 12,

preferably slightly concaved, is located at the Y of the body at its mouth, the cover of the front.

machine being adapted to rest upon said battens, and the back 14 of the body is made to extend upward beyond the upper edge of the At one end the body is made to extend upward beyond the upper line of the mouth, so as to form a square board 15, upon which a wringermay be secured, as illustrated particularlyin Fig. 2. The bod yis supported by suitable legs 16, and at the upper rear portion ofthe body, at each side, an extension 17 isprovided, the said extensions serving to horizontally support a cross-bar 18, and a second cross-bar 19 is secured to the inner side faces ofthe bodyT near the back, extending across theinner face of the back and quite close thereto. The lower cross-bar 19 is provided with two or more recesses 20, and the upper cross-barlS is provided with corresponding recesses 21, as shown best in Fig. 4. Plum.

gers 22 are held to slide in these recesses in the upper and lower cross-bars, the said plungers being attached at their lower ends each to apounder 23. These pounders are usually rectangular in plan view, being preferably solid or of block-like construction, and their front and under surfaces are provided with steps 24, as particularly shown in Figs. 3 and Each plunger at its upper end is connected with a pitman 25, and each pitman eX- tends downwardly at the rear of the body,

one pitman being pivoted near each end of a lever 26, which lever is made to pass through` a strap 27, secu red to the back of the machine, and the pivot-pin 28 for the lever is passed through the strap and into the back of the machine. Each pitman convenient to its lower pivot is provided with an opening 29, the openings being adapted to receive a lubricating material, and a like opening 30 is provided in the strap 27 adjacent to the ful.- crum of the lever 26. Similar openings may be provided wherever pivots are located. i

A handle 31 is secured to one end of the lever 26 and at a point outside of that at which the adjacent pitman connects with the lever, as is best shown in Fig. 1. The handle 31 is placed at an angle to the lever and extends beyond one side or end of the machine, and at the side or end of the machine beyond which the handle extends a folding bench 32 is provided, which bench is capable of being dropped to a horizontal position, being then IOT) supported by a hinged leg 33, or the bench may be folded up close to the side or end of the body and held in its vertical position (shown in dotted lines in Fig. l) by means of buttons 34 or equivalent fastening devices.

When the bench is in its lower or horizontal is normally closed by a'cap, a plug, or itsequivalent. In the construction of the body of the machine the parts are preferably tongue-.and-grooved or otherwise made interlocking, screws being used exclusively, and in order that the body may be as strong as possible brace-rods 36- are carried from side to side or from end to end along the bottom of the body, as shown in Fig. 4, and another brace-rod 37 is carried in the same direction along the front face of the body, preferably at the point where the inclined front board l1 connects with the main front board, as shown in Fig. 4.

In operation by moving the handle 3l upward or downward the lever 26 is rocked upon its fulcrum and the pitmen 25 are carried alternately upward and downward, one rising while the other drops, producing a corresponding movement on the part of the pounders carried by the plungers 22, with which the pitmen are connected. The pounders being tapered and stepped in their under faces will in their downward movement carry the clothes with a rubbing action along the rubbing-surface 12, constantly shifting the position of the clothes, since the movement of the plungers in the bodyv Will keep the water and the clothes constantly agitated.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a means whereby a Washing-machine or a numberof such machines may be driven by steam-power. When such power is applied,a driven shaft 38 is employed, which extends across the backs of the various machines, the shafts being supported by suitable hangers 39, and on the driven'shaft 38 a gear 40 is secured, which meshes with a pinion 42, secu red upon a driveshaft 4l, carrying a driving-pulley 43, the drive-shaft being journaled in suitable bearings 44. vOpposite the rear portion of each machine two driving-wheels 45 and 46 are located, being fast upon the driven shaft 3S. Each driving-wheel 45 is provided with a predetermined number of peripheral lugs 45,-

and each driving-wheel 46 is provided with a corresponding number of lugs 46, but the lugs on the driving-Wheel 46 are so placed that they will alternate with the lugs 45L on the adjacent driving-wheel 45. Each plunger 22 of the washing-machine is provided with a rearwardly-extending horizontal head 22,and the driving-Wheels 45 and 46 are so placed on the driven shaft 38 that the projections from the wheel will engage with the heads of the said plungers. Thus in operation the projections from a lwheel at the rear of the washing-machine will alternately engage with a head 22 of one of the plungers of the machine, lifting the said plunger, and as soon as the engagement between the head and the projection from said wheel, is overcome the pounder connected with that plunger will be forced down, since at the same time a projection from a second wheel 45 will engage with the head of the opposing plunger and raise it. Therefore it will be observed that the pounders and plungers of the machine connected with the pounders Will be aut-omatically raised and lowered, the action being the same when the cross-bar 26 is operated through the medium of an attached lever 3l'.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patenti 1. In a washing-machine, the combination, with a body provided with a flaring mouth,

and an inclined rubbing-surface extending from the front to a point'near the back at the bottom portion of the body,pounders consisting of blocks mounted to slide within the body at the rear, each pounder having its face that is opposed to said rubbing-surface inclined and stepped, a plunger attached ,to each of the pounders, and guides for the said plungersy of a pitman pivotally connected with the upper end of each plunger, said pitman being at the back of the machine and so located that the pounders will likewise be close to the rear Wall of the machine, a cen-` trally-fulcrum ed lever,theend portions whereot` are pivotally connected with the pitman, and means for lubricating the pivot of the lever and the pivotal connection between the pivot and the lever, as and for the purpose specified.

2. A Washing-machine, comprising a body having a vertical rear wall, said Wall being provided with guides on its inner face, plungers working in said guides and having their upper ends projecting above the rear Wall of the body, pounders rigidly secured to the lower ends of the plungers, a lever pivoted at about the center of its length to the outer face of the rear wall of the body, pitmen having their lower ends pivoted to the ends of the said lever and their upper ends to the upper IOD IIO

ends of the plungers, and means for oscillatrubbingsurface inclined and roughened, plungers rigidly secured to the pounders, and Working in the recesses of the said cross-bars, a lever pivoted at about the center of its length to the outer face of the rear Wall of the body, pitmen having their lower ends pivoted to the ends of the lever and their upper ends to the upper ends of the plungers, and means for oscillating the said lever to iinpart an alternate reciprocating movement to said plungers and their pounders, substantially as described.

4. In a washing-machine, the combination with a body having a vertical rear Wall, said Wall being provided with guides on its front face, of plungers Working in said guides and having their upper ends projecting above the rear Wall of the body and provided with rear- Wardly-projecting heads, pounders rigidly secured to the lower ends of the plungers, a lever pivoted at about the center of its length to the outer face of the rear Wall of the body, pitmen having their lower ends pivoted to the said lever and their upper ends to the'upper ends of the plungers, a shaft, and Wheels mounted on the shaft and provided with projections for alternately engaging the heads of the plungers, substantially as described.

5. In a Washing-machine, the combination, with a body provided with aflarin g mouth and an inclined rubbing-surface extending from the front to a point near the back at the bottom portion of the body, pounders consisting of blocks mounted to slide within the body, each pounder having its face that is opposed to the said rubbing-surface inclined and roughened, a plunger attached to each of the pounders, each plunger being provided with a head, and guides for the said plungers, of a pitinan pivotally connected With the upper portion of each plunger, a centrallyfulcrumed lever, the end portions whereof are pivotally connected with the pitman, a shaft, and driving-Wheels mounted on said shaft, the driving-wheels being provided with peripheral projections, the projections on one Wheel being arranged to alternate with the projections on the opposing wheel, the said Wheels being so placed upon the shaft that the peripheral projections on said Wheels Will engage with the heads of said plungers, for the purpose specified.

JOHN HERMAN GEERS. lVitnesses:

JOHN MICHEL, MARY E. BocKA. 

